July 6, 2025

Japanese Communist Party member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly Higa Mizuki on July 2 revealed that the Japanese government did not report more than one-third of the heinous crimes committed by U.S. soldiers arrested in Okinawa to the Okinawa prefectural government.

Higa, at an prefectural assembly held on the same day, asked how many violent offenders who were U.S. servicepersons had been arrested by Okinawa Police.

The Okinawa prefectural police chief responded that the police, during the past 23 years since 2002, have arrested 63 U.S. military members in the prefecture: three for murder, 37 for robbery, and 23 for nonconsensual sexual intercourse.

Higa asked an Okinawa government official, “How many cases of information related to vicious crimes committed by U.S. soldiers have you received from the Okinawa Defense Bureau during the same period of time?”

The head of the governor’s office replied that 40 cases, including three homicides, 30 robberies, and seven rapes, have been reported to the prefecture.

Higa said, “It means that information on 23 cases were not reported. It’s still not too late. The Okinawa government should demand a report.”

The head of the governor’s office responded, “We will confirm with the Okinawa Defense Bureau regarding the discrepancy between the number of arrests reported by Okinawa Police and those reported by the national government.”

The 1997 Japan-U.S. Joint Commission agreed that when incidents involving the U.S. Forces Japan occur, the U.S. side will provide information accurately and swiftly to the Japanese authorities and local municipalities. The agreement stipulates that the information will be provided to the prefectural government through the Defense Bureau.